Garden Route Therapy

I recently heard about a labyrinth in High Park but had difficulty locating the path that led to it. Yesterday I asked a gardener in the park who sent me in the right direction, behind the Grenadier Restaurant. Having only ever seen pictures in fancy landscape design books of labyrinths, I must say, I was a little disappointed when I first arrived at the site. The labyrinth is painted on asphalt which appeared jarring surrounded by a field of grasses and native plants. I later found out that the paved spot previously was used by a carousel in the park and somehow felt better about it. The labyrinth design is based on the pattern found on the floor of the Chartres Cathedral in northern France. Being familiar with mazes, I felt anxious entering the labyrinth in case I would get lost. It was comforting to eventually realize that the labyrinth was not meant to confuse but rather taking me on a journey and I just had to let my feet go, without thinking too much about where to place my next step. In Gardens for the Soul, Pamela Woods explains that “Labyrinths are said to represent the journey of the human soul on earth. The original purpose of the labyrinth was to provide a sacred pattern to be walked, to induce the shift in consciousness needed to bring about a certain inner transformation” (48). I was surprised how long the process took as I had underestimated the distance the pattern allowed. I felt a sense of accomplishment at the end, more grounded and refreshed by the experience. I look forward to finding and walking other labyrinths in the city.

*After this experience, by chance, I received a postcard from a German artist of a beautiful Labyrinth. The work is entitled Labyrinth: Leben (Labyrinth: Life). For more Labyrinth art visit Aneli’s site.